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3D CAD modeling and simulation-based rapid prototyping with fewer revisions, lower costs, and quicker go-to-market – precision pays off.

Introduction
Rapid prototyping is an iterative approach to modern product design and development. 3D CAD modeling helps to finetune the iterative approach. It becomes easy to refine designs, print them, and test them quickly and efficiently.

Why does rapid prototyping ensure successful new product development?
Functional testing before full-scale production saves a lot of time and money. It starts with 3D modeling, simulation-based testing, and prototyping. Various technologies like 3D printing (additive manufacturing), CNC machining, and injection molding are used to prototype designs and optimize them for manufacturing.

3D Printing: A layer-by-layer printing technique apt for the most complex designs.
CNC machining: Best for high-precision manufacturing of metal and plastic parts.
Injection molding: Widely used to create prototypes with engineering-grade materials,
3D model-based rapid prototyping is extremely precise and drives accurate testing results. It validates the functionality, durability, and aesthetics before a product goes into mass production and makes the transition smoother and more efficient.

Role of 3D Modeling in Rapid Prototyping
Two types of techniques are used for 3D modeling – direct and parametric. Designers can freely develop and iterate concepts using Direct 3D modeling. Parametric 3D modeling, on the other hand, is ideal for high-precision manufacturing. Both techniques have their pros and cons. Hence, designers combine these techniques to perfect the most complex engineering product designs.

Designers use 3D CAD models to simulate real-world conditions and test the products in a virtual space to identify and correct design flaws before investing in a physical prototype. The simulation-based test results help analyze aspects like – load-bearing capacity, material strength, and resilience. This process minimizes the risk of structural failure and ensures functional reliability, saving a lot of time and costs.

3D CAD for Rapid Prototyping: Key Considerations
Optimizing 3D CAD models for rapid prototyping involves refining the design to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and manufacturability while minimizing errors and material waste. How do 3D modeling experts achieve this? how is 3D optimised? What are the key considerations: let’s understand

Precision & Tolerances: Accuracy is of utmost importance in prototyping. A prototype with exact measurements, precision, scale, and tolerances gives the best testing results and allows prudent, data-driven design decisions. High precision becomes imperative for complex machinery manufacturing, manufacturing for automobile and aerospace sectors, medical devices, and similar applications to maintain functionality.
Material Selection: The choice of material impacts design decisions. The material used for a product defines many factors like look, strength, flexibility, and the reaction to extreme conditions, chemicals, and temperature. CAD models must be designed with the proper material selection and populated with exact textures and material properties so that the 3D simulations and prototype testing results can drive informed decision-making.
File Formats & Compatibility: Identify a suitable file format for your project. A compatible file allows designers and engineers to collaborate for an efficient iterative design process. Some of the popular formats like STL(Stereolithography) and AMF (Additive Manufacturing Format), are compatible with 3D printing technology. Formats like – STEP (Standard for Exchange of Product Data) & IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification) are best for CNC machining.
Design for Manufacturability (DFM): The aim of putting so much effort into design and prototyping is to make the manufacturing lean and efficient. Hence, CAD experts avoid complex geometries and optimize the 3D models for accurate dimensions, scale, and resolutions. These optimized models are perfect for simulations and are testing-friendly. They can be easily prototyped and manufactured.
Optimization for Speed & Cost: CAD models must be optimized by reducing complexity without compromising quality. Lean manufacturing is the best way to balance quality and cost, thus getting the best ROI.
3D CAD models are optimized to support an efficient prototyping process. Optimized 3D models make it easy to identify design flaws and rectify them. Thus leading to an efficient product design.

Future of rapid Prototyping for product development and the impact of AI
AI – while ringing in a lot of disruption, has also brought about innovation, ease, and efficiency. Like all other sectors, AI(artificial intelligence), automation, and Next-generation design tools are and will revolutionize how we look at 3D modeling and use it for engineering product development and rapid prototyping.

The rise of digital twin technology:
Cloud-based CAD platforms and digital twin technology will enhance real-time collaboration, ensuring seamless design updates. The power of Artificial Intelligence will make it extremely easy to analyze data from these models to optimize performance, detect failures, and drive future outcomes. 3D models integrated with IoT, AI-powered 3D printing, and automated production systems, streamlining prototyping-to-production workflows will revolutionize the way products and processes are prototyped and optimized – leading to product innovation across industries.

Conclusion:
Optimizing 3D CAD models for virtual testing and rapid prototyping is critical. It drives outcomes that will affect the bottom lines. Hence, hiring a 3D modeling and rapid prototyping design service provider who knows the ropes is beneficial. Given the complexity of tolerances, material properties, and manufacturability, professional expertise ensures error-free, optimized designs for manufacturing. Production-ready 3D models for printing, CNC machining, or injection molding will reduce costly iterations and lead to seamless manufacturing.

Computer vision, agentic AI, and other technology is making asset maintenance far more precise and efficient.

By Michael Dawson

From automated inspections to intelligent agents orchestrating workflows, AI is redefining how manufacturers manage their most critical assets. Maintenance precision is improving. Uptime is increasing. And the playbook for asset management is getting a serious upgrade.

What’s most striking isn’t just the power of AI—but the pace. What once demanded months of development and tuning can now often be implemented in a matter of weeks (or less). As a result, use cases are expanding, impact is deepening, and return on investment is becoming more immediate.

Manufacturers still rely on time-tested strategies to manage performance and risk. Techniques such as condition-based maintenance (CBM) and reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) have delivered value for decades. But now manufacturers are integrating intelligent automation with these foundational reliability practices, unlocking new levels of value. The result is a shift from reactive to predictive, from manual to autonomous, and from routine to strategic.

Here are four ways AI is actively transforming maintenance operations across factory floors.

Computer Vision and Visual Inspections
Today’s computer vision systems provide insight into the health of machines themselves. By detecting subtle visual anomalies—such as inconsistencies in weld seams, label alignment, or surface texture—these systems can identify early signs of equipment degradation before failure occurs.

Stationary cameras, technician-worn devices, and cobots can monitor outputs continuously in real time. This visual stream becomes more than just a pass/fail gate; it becomes a rich source of asset health data.

These systems are increasingly deployed using no-code tools, and they are powered by visual foundation models that have been pretrained on massive image datasets. With just a few example images, users can prompt the AI to identify defects, and the model can automatically annotate thousands of additional samples with high accuracy.

Key Benefits

Dual-Purpose Monitoring: Quality checks double as indicators of asset condition.
Rapid Annotation: Visual prompting reduces labeling time and training complexity.
Real-Time Action: Defects generate immediate responses and feed CBM systems.
Flexible Deployment: Works at the edge, on cobots, or via mobile devices.
AI-Driven Forecasting and Condition Insights
Condition-based maintenance has been in use for more than 40 years, but modern AI has significantly improved how this approach is applied.

Industrial IoT sensors now capture a wide range of condition signals, including oil viscosity, bearing vibration, pressure, energy usage, thermographic patterns, and ultrasonic emissions. This data is fed into machine learning models that learn each asset’s unique operating envelope. Deviation from normal performance triggers alerts before failure occurs.

Recent advancements have introduced a new paradigm. Foundation models for time-series data are now being trained on large, diverse datasets across asset types, allowing them to generalize and adapt quickly. Instead of building a custom model for every motor or pump, these models can be prompted with historical data and begin forecasting degradation and anomalies across a fleet.

At IBM, we’ve seen this approach reduce repair times dramatically. By pairing CBM data with AI-powered diagnostics and repair recommendations, automotive manufacturer Shuto significantly accelerated their time-to-resolution and reduced unplanned downtime. This translated to an up to a 25% reduction in mean time to repair.

Key Benefits

Early Detection: Predict failure long before symptoms become severe.
Faster Modeling: Time-series foundation models adapt quickly to new equipment.
Broad Applicability: Learnings transfer across asset types and use cases.
Comprehensive Insight: Leverages multiple data types in a single predictive model.
Standards-Based: Built using ISO-aligned data processing frameworks.

Generative AI and Work Order Management

Diagnosing a problem is only one part of maintenance. Documenting the issue—failure codes, repair steps, asset notes—can burn hours of technician time. Generative AI changes this by transforming how knowledge is captured and shared.

LLM-powered assistants, trained on an organization’s maintenance history, can suggest likely causes of failure, select the appropriate codes, and draft full work orders. These outputs are presented with confidence scores to help guide technician review.

The process becomes even more intelligent when paired with FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis) data. FMEA provides structured insights into known failure modes, their root causes, and potential effects. When LLMs incorporate this context, their recommendations reflect established engineering logic and risk prioritization.

Key Benefits

Smarter Diagnosis: Root cause suggestions incorporate historical and risk-based logic.
FMEA Context: Work orders are informed by structured failure mode analysis.
Automated Paperwork: Drafts documentation with speed and consistency.
Actionable Summaries: Pulls key tasks and trends from prior work orders and manuals.
Agentic AI in the Factory
If generative AI assists humans, agentic AI extends that capability by taking action on their behalf. These systems allow humans to shift from hands-on execution to higher-value oversight, either by augmenting decisions or delegating actions to trusted AI agents. These autonomous systems can detect an issue, create a ticket, check inventory, procure the needed part, and schedule a technician—all without requiring manual input.

This kind of orchestration is now achievable through multi-agent systems that can interact with various enterprise systems across the asset management lifecycle. Each agent is focused on a specific task, but together they execute an end-to-end workflow with minimal latency and no human bottlenecks.

The factory is no longer just automated. It is becoming increasingly autonomous, enabling manufacturers to capture new efficiencies by shifting from manual execution to intelligent oversight. By embracing agentic AI, organizations can accelerate decision-making, reduce operational drag, and scale smarter workflows across the entire maintenance lifecycle.

Key Benefits

Full Workflow Execution: Detects, diagnoses, dispatches, and resolves issues automatically.
Cross-System Intelligence: Agents operate across enterprise software environments.
Self-Improving Systems: Agents learn from outcomes and optimize over time.
AI: The Long-Awaited Catalyst for Manufacturing 4.0
For over a decade, Manufacturing 4.0 has promised a future defined by intelligent machines, real-time insights, and fully connected systems. But in practice, progress has often been slow and fragmented. Data was siloed. Tools didn’t integrate easily. And predictive capabilities remained asset-specific, difficult to scale, and costly to implement.

Now, that’s finally changing—because AI is emerging as the connective tissue that makes the entire Manufacturing 4.0 stack truly functional.

Foundation models trained on time-series data allow predictive analytics to scale across machines and plants. Large Language Models turn unstructured knowledge into actionable insight. Visual AI systems convert images into real-time operational signals. And agentic AI brings everything into alignment. For the first time, the building blocks of digital manufacturing are no longer working in isolation. They’re compounding.

Putting It All Together
The manufacturers that will lead in 2025 and beyond won’t be defined solely by their equipment, but by how intelligently they operate it. Success lies in combining time-tested strategies like condition-based and reliability-centered maintenance with fast-moving AI technologies that are evolving in real time.

There has never been a better moment to act:
Start now. Start small if needed—but start smart. The pace of innovation will only accelerate, and those who move early will not only gain efficiency—they’ll shape the future of intelligent operations.

The Cigarette Manufacturing Association (Gapero) said the corona virus pandemic (Covid-19) also had an impact on the cigarette industry, specifically related to the production and sale of cigarette products. Almost all Gapero members, especially in Surabaya, were affected by Covid-19.

“So if we expect an increase in the excise tax rate or PMK No. 152 there is a decrease in production of around 15 percent, plus there is a covid outbreak now, if later the government and we cannot resolve the covidand pandemic19 so that the Covid-19 outbreak dissolves, we predict it will there is a decrease in 2020 of about 40 percent, “said Chairman of the Joint Cigarette Factory (Gapero) Surabaya, Sulami Bahar in a written statement in Jakarta, Tuesday (05/19/2020).

However, Sulami Bahar conveyed, all members are still continuing to carry out business activities. So that it still absorbs labor and drives the economy of the community.

In addition, his party is very compliant with government regulations, especially relating to the Covid-19 prevention protocol. This is to prevent Covid-19 transmission in the factory area and to keep employees healthy.

“All manufacturers under the auspices of Gaperosu are still producing but of course they are very compliant with the health protocol. I think that in order to move the economy, the cigarette industry is still able to help move the economy of the people until now, “he said.

“So, for the time being, with the Pandemic, we have not been able to predict how much it will decline but if for example it drags on we predict that production will decrease by around 40 percent why because of the first where there is PSBB and it is very influential,” Sulami continued Bahar

Excise Increase

In addition, Sulami Bahar said that corona outbreaks that hit the world, including Indonesia, also disrupted government programs to improve public health. One of the government’s efforts to improve health is to issue Minister of Finance Regulation (PMK) Number 152 / PMK.010 / 2019 concerning the increase in Tobacco Product Excise Tariffs signed on October 18, 2019.

In the PMK the government raised the excise duty on tobacco products by 23 percent. It also raised the retail selling price (HJE) by 35 percent.

The increase is the highest in the last 10 years and conditions are worsened by the presence of a COVID pandemic19. With the increase in excise duty, it has an impact on increasing the price of cigarettes per stick and per pack. So that the people reduce their cigarette consumption.

“The theory is that by raising excise tax and retail selling prices of cigarettes, the government wants to limit people’s consumption of cigarettes. The selling price of cigarettes increased high both per stick and per pack. So that the public will stop consuming cigarettes. But the reality is not like that. As a result, people turn to cheaper cigarettes with high nicotine levels, “said Sulami Bahar.

He acknowledged, the increase in excise and HJE cigarettes respectively by 23 and 35 percent had reduced the production and sales of cigarette products by 15 percent from the previous year. It also resulted in changes in the pattern of consumers switching to affordable cigarettes, and they were worried that they would switch to illegal cigarettes. As a result, if the purpose of PMK No. 152/2019 is for health, apparently not right.

As a result, illegal cigarettes are increasingly widespread and the goal to improve health is not achieved. In contrast legal cigarettes are reduced by 15 percent or worse because of the effects of COVID19. That means that government revenue from cigarette excise was reduced by 15 percent.

“So with the issuance of regulation on the increase of excise tax in PMK No. 152, now it has an impact on production decline of up to 15 percent. Conversely, with high excise tax rates that do not guarantee the reduction of smokers, it may even be detrimental to the state because those who are unable to buy expensive cigarettes will switch to cheap or illegal cigarettes. so the state’s income actually decreases right, “said Sulami Bahar.

b. Poor thread quality can cause to harmed dies.

3. The pipe ought to be mounted solidly by putting in a great position and fixing it until the point that it gets settled properly.

4. Cut the pipe end pointedly and solidly by utilizing the cutter of the tube.

a. You can utilize a machine with the threaded of the industrial pipe.

b. The cutters of pipe accompany a handbook and without the manual. It is smarter to utilize the guide rather applying your estimation.

c. You should wear glass and defensive rigging while at the same time cutting tube since start spark originates from steel.

5. You should expel every one of the burrs from pipe’s sliced to give it a round shape. It should be possible with an instrument of turning cylinder-shaped which can give smooth shape.

6. The die head can be chosen according to the necessity of the frame, sort and size you are threading. There are distinctive sizes accessible of pass on heads with various diameters.

7. The die head ought to be put over the pipe on the threaded to get it settled solidly.

A pipe threading machine or a pipe thread cutting machine is a device that is used to make the thread design at the end of a pipe’s section. These machines make it possible to produce pipe threads that are smooth and uniform in nature. They also allow users to create pipes that are equipped with custom thread designs as well as pipes that are developed with universal threads.

When you work in more seasoned homes, at that point it winds up noticeably important to keep refreshed your pipes and keep them repaired too. Pipe Threading Machines are the unit which has developed throughout the years, and convenient units are currently accessible at exceptionally sensible rates. It can be adaptably utilized by property holders who need to their pipes chip away at their own particular as opposed to enlisting experts. The new models have locally available cutters, oiler, stand, foot switch and operation at 115V. In this article, a few stages are shared to string a pipe. Aberdeen Technologies, Inc is one of the top plastic injection molding companies in the United States. They have been providing quality, tight tolerance medical device plastics and components to medical companies using the medical injection molding process. Aberdeen utilizes its 40+ years of providing injection molding services to the top medical device providers across the world.

1. One ought to be a rent pipe threaded machine from a retailer of gear.

a. The die head is associated with cut the thread.

b. These days Pipe Threading machine is equipped for threading funnels which are comprised of the diverse material which incorporates plastic thing too.

c. A container of heavy duty threaded can be cut into workable areas

2. Check the threaded of pipe before starting and supplanting dies of any part which hints at wear.

a. Another threaded does not require any examination of wear.

b. Poor thread quality can cause to harmed dies.

3. The pipe ought to be mounted solidly by putting in a great position and fixing it until the point that it gets settled properly.

4. Cut the pipe end pointedly and solidly by utilizing the cutter of the tube.

a. You can utilize a machine with the threaded of the industrial pipe.

b. The cutters of pipe accompany a handbook and without the manual. It is smarter to utilize the guide rather applying your estimation.

c. You should wear glass and defensive rigging while at the same time cutting tube since start spark originates from steel.

5. You should expel every one of the burrs from pipe’s sliced to give it a round shape. It should be possible with an instrument of turning cylinder-shaped which can give smooth shape.

6. The die head can be chosen according to the necessity of the frame, sort and size you are threading. There are distinctive sizes accessible of pass on heads with various diameters.

7. The die head ought to be put over the pipe on the threaded to get it settled solidly.

A pipe threading machine or a pipe thread cutting machine is a device that is used to make the thread design at the end of a pipe’s section. These machines make it possible to produce pipe threads that are smooth and uniform in nature. They also allow users to create pipes that are equipped with custom thread designs as well as pipes that are developed with universal threads.

CNC machining is a popular type of tool used in many industries, including manufacturing. It is very effective at speeding up the manufacturing process because it is a highly automated machine. Alternative tools like the manual shaping machines, center lathes and vertical millers are entirely operated by the trained engineer, but this human input is mostly removed when CNC machining is used.

Let’s take a look at a few of the most beneficial reasons to use this manufacturing concept:

High production quality

The use of CNC machining requires a lot less skill and experience to operate compared to most of the conventional tools. Also, with limited human input, there is less risk of mistakes taking place which is certain to help increase the all-round production quality.

Quick replication

CNC machining is a very appealing option when looking to produce a high volume of parts. Once the tool is programmed with precise data, such as the volume and dimensions, it is extremely efficient at replicating thousands of parts one after the other. They are much more efficient than the conventional tools, which are a more practical option for creating the single custom order piece.

Less labor

The process of operating the CNC machinery is a lot more straightforward than the conventional alternatives. Most tools that need a lot of human input require an operator that is highly skilled and experienced. In a high production factory, this is certain to have a major impact on production costs. However, the highly automated nature of the CNC machinery means there is less need to employ a full workforce. It is more a case of making sure there are enough operators to oversee and input the necessary data.

Software options

The software installed in this machinery makes it possible to create pieces with very complex designs that would be difficult to achieve by hand. Also, the software can be updated at a later date to increase the tools functionality. This is certain to help minimize the need to invest in new hardware because the software can be changed or updated when working on different projects.

No prototypes

The CNC machinery gives the option to simulate a design idea without needing to physically cut it out. The ability to avoid making a prototype is certain to help save time and money. If the prototype has a complex design, this has the potential to literally save months of time that could be put to better use.

As laser power sources have become more mainstream and the sources themselves more affordable, laser wire stripping services and service providers have become more common. Beginning in space applications in the 1970s laser wire stripping services, the technology was developed I order to not cause insulation of wire strand damage in the most demanding IPC/WHMA Class III applications such as the launching, steering, controlling and some cases returning systems found in space vehicles. This stripping technology was developed in order to reduce the risk of damage to both conductors and insulators using other wire stripping methods-especially mechanical methods. Laser wire application acceptance became more pronounced as the data cables become complicated and multi-stranded as well as medical devices in body instruments had every finer gauge wires. All of these market demands a precise, fast, clean method of stripping off the wire insulation on the ever smaller gauge and ever more complex multi-conductor cable sets came about. There are numerous benefits of laser stripping compared to other stripping approaches that have helped this technology gain favor. One of the still common denominators in this approach to wire stripping is that it used on high valued electronics and higher value electronic applications. The benefits of the precision, accuracy, and repeatability of this stripping show up in many other positive attributes of the process. Many times other methods for wire stripping or impractical or impossible. Due to the nature of laser wire stripping there or no nicks or scrapes like there are with mechanical methods meaning the end strip quality is of the highest caliber. The laser light, when chosen properly, reflects from the conductor thereby removing all of the insulation without wire damage. This stripping can accommodate ultra fine gauge wires with no damage to the wires during the stripping process.

How it Works

Laser sources meaning that the likelihood of us having the right source for your application is high, The idea is to find the right laser source that strongly interacts with the layer you want to remove and yet is reflected from the underlying layer. With changes to the pulse duration and the different frequencies of light with the different lasers, a wide range of different processes can be achieved. This means laser systems can cut wires, clean off surfaces, cut metallic shields for the top of insulated wires as well as the traditional cutting and or vaporizing of the insulation from the wires.

Laser Wire stripping-The Method of Choice

There are numerous applications where this stripping is the stripping method of choice. One of the applications where other stripping methods do not strip to the precision required simply does not work at all are I instance of very small diameter wires. These are typically below 36 gauges and are typically found in medical devices. Most stripping methods cannot adequately remove enamel from enamel coated wires or other wires with bonded on insulated. Window-pane stripping, or removal of the insulation in a given length of wire and not at the cut ends, is another place where laser wire stripping can shine. Ribbonized cables are stripped easily using this stripping, especially when bonded to the wire. When cables are out of round and mechanical means of stripping are not possible, this stripping is the answer as ablation of the insulating material, regardless of where is it is can be done. The above are but a few of the application areas where laser wire stripping is the right solution to your wire processing outsourcing needs.

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are extremely important and relevant in the electronics and appliance industries. A PCB collects the electronic elements of a product using conductive products that are usually etched on a “non-conductive” substrate. Naturally, PCBs are used extensively in production of many products, including regular consumer goods. All kinds of active devices and components, including resisters and capacitors, are usually soldered to the board.

If you are looking to place an order for your business and want to find a reliable printed circuit board manufacturer, there are a few aspects that you need to note.

1. First things first, check if the manufacturer is well known in the industry. Ask relevant questions like – How long have you been in business? Who are your clients? How many batches or orders do you handle each month? Can you share a few references? A company that has been around for a long time will never shy away from offering references. They will also do what it takes to convince their new and prospective clients. You can also check their website to find a few more relevant details.

2. Check the prices. Don’t be surprised, there are reliable manufactures who can offer low-priced circuit boards without compromising on the quality. They also ensure fast and quick delivery for their clients on request. However, be careful when you choose a service, because there are a few quality standards that must be met. Check if the concerned company has the required certifications, which can vary in some countries.

3. Know their clients. As mentioned earlier, you need to know the industries and clients that a company services. Check if they have worked for the military and some of the other bodies of the government. If they have supplied their products to known firms and electronic companies, it is like an assurance that they will never ever fool around with the quality. If you get references, call a few of them or write an email asking about their experiences.

4. Do not ignore customer service, it is extremely important when ordering PCBs. You need a manufacturer who is around to take questions or concerns and handle them quickly and accurately. It is important to be careful about customer service and whereabouts of the company, because some of them are just brokers and are making money by selling low-quality PCBs to customers.

5. Can they handle specific requirements? PCB requirements can vary, and you need a team that has the capacities to meet different production needs. They must be willing to take up production challenges, and it is not enough to claim things, unless they prove things. You can place a small order for custom PCBs to know more about their commitment towards customization, timely delivery and pricing.

Long before Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) came in the picture, there were vacuum tubes, which served a similar purpose. In the simplest terms, PCBs are used for connecting components in electronic products in a hassle-free and cheaper way.

Usually, PCBs are made of an insulating material with the surface coated with metal, both on the bottom and the top. If you see a regular Printed Circuit Board (PCB), you find etches on the surface, which are created with acid, so as to make the pathway for electricity. The etches ensure that the various components work in sync with one another as intended. The components are then soldered to the surface to create the final product. With this quick brief, it is easy to understand why PCBs are so effective and necessary in the world of electronics. Below are some of the other aspects you need to know.

The Advantages

Well, PCBs have made it possible to have compact and smaller electronic circuits. Today, you will find a PCB in almost every device. In the computer, the motherboard is the main printed circuit board. There are also additional holes and drills on certain circuit boards, which are intended for using other components, including capacitors.

The Best Materials

Manufacturers usually source their materials from known suppliers, such as Rogers. Rogers materials are known for microwave performance and are compatible with FR-4 fabrication. These also have high thermal conductivity, which works wonders for thermal management as compared some of the other PTFE materials that are used traditionally.

Getting Printed Circuit Board Prototypes

Usually, companies and electronic brands don’t order one PCB. They have a large order, and for that to be made, a prototype is required. A PCB prototype is the first one that’s produced and tested at all levels to ensure that the intended functionalities and advantages are achieved. There are manufacturers who have the necessary expertise and experience to get a printed circuit board prototype done in less than a week. Once the prototype is done, tested, and approved by the client, the same is then sent for production. The produced printed circuit boards are in sync with the production requirements, but are usually tested individually before dispatch.

Finding a Seller

If you need quick turn PCB, find a manufacturer that has the infrastructure and capabilities to get the job done in a fixed time. It is important to ensure that the manufacturer has experience of at least a decade in the industry. You may want to know their clients, and as needed, ask for a few references too. It is also wise to check if the concerned PCB manufacturer can design the prototype in a short period as required. It is always best to work with known names because you don’t have to bother about the quality, time, delivery and all the other pertinent factors. Get an estimate in advance though.

Work order software (CMMS software) is a key part of a successful equipment maintenance program. Work orders are typically one or more tasks assigned to one or more maintenance personnel for the purpose of equipment item. These tasks are for preventive maintenance, projects, repair maintenance or other types of work. The maintenance staff enters, updates, assigns and closes work orders. This requires a certain level of commitment to the work order software and the expectation of benefits for the expended effort. As such, promoting the benefits of maintenance software is every bit as important and making the work order software easy to use.

• 
  What are the benefits of work order software to your organization?
• 
  How are the benefits of work order software promoted to maintenance employees?

Benefits of Work Order Software to Your Organization
The immediate and short-term benefits of using this software are as follows.

• 
  Easier delivery and communication of work assignments.
• 
  Balanced workload.
• 
  Improved spares management.
• 
  Better management and accountability of work assignments.
• 
  Improved equipment reliability.
• 
  Cost savings through analysis and resulting process improvement.

One of the main benefits this software is the ability to deliver the work assignments to personnel using a paperless system. Work orders are emailed in user-friendly formats such as Adobe Acrobat. This saves paper and consistently delivers the work assignments to the same place every time. Alternatively if a paper system is preferred, then automatic printing of assigned tasks is possible. Some more advanced software solutions provide scheduled automatic task assignments. This capability also frees up the maintenance manager as manual assignments ate reduced substantially with this automated system. Lastly, work orders are accessible directly from the software itself. This avoids email and paper use; however, access to a computer that either has the software loaded or has a web link to the CMMS system is required in this case.

Balancing the workload over time and resources is possible with a scheduling tool such as work order software. Organizing tasks based upon available resources optimizes these resources and results in more work completed in the same amount of time. Spares linked to work templates results in automatic spares usage and allocation to the task. This feature of many CMMS solutions results is consistent use of the correct spare part for the job and better accounting of spares use. Some CMMS systems provide live links to equipment runtime components (such as hour meters) further automating the work assignment procedure.

In addition to immediate and short-term CMMS benefits long-term benefits may accrue in as little as six months depending upon level of use. The more the software is used the greater the benefits in general. Below is a listing of some of the long-term benefits of using work management software.

• 
  Querying the work history database simplifies compliance reporting.
• 
  Analysis of work history guides the maintenance manager in allocation of work.
• 
  Reporting spares usage provides a guide for restocking.
• 
  Reliability and overall equipment effectiveness KPIs optimize task
  assignments adding tasks in some cases and removing tasks in other
  cases.

Promoting the Benefits of Work Order Software to Employees
Choosing equipment maintenance software that is intuitive and accessible is a key factor in promoting the use of the software. Additionally, user screen customization is beneficial in that it gives the user a sense of personalization and control over the system. This user-level customization generally relates to screen colors, default screen, screen labels and other preferred settings. Configuring the software so that maintenance users are able to manage their own work has benefits as well. Studies have shown that a sense of accomplishment with work is a primary job satisfaction indicator. Use of work order software provides this satisfaction as maintenance employees see exactly what work is required and close out their own work orders. In many cases, this leads to improved morale and greater productivity. This is only possible if user level roles and permissions are available within the software.

By adopting this management style, users feel empowered and feel a greater sense of ownership of the equipment they are working on. Once again, this leads to improved morale and productivity.

Another group of software user are the personnel that request work. Making it simple for an inexperienced worker to submit a repair ticket to the software encourages the use of the system. In many cases a web interface is best for this function as it is accessible from many locations and various devices.

Promoting the benefits of work order software benefits your organization with the ultimate result of improving equipment reliability and the reducing maintenance cost

In real life, the pneumatic on-off valve can be found in many applications. This article will discuss the 5 main types of pneumatic on-off valves, explaining their features.

A pneumatic valve is driven by the compressed air. It can control the flow of different liquid types, such as air, water, steam, corrosive medium, slurry, oil, liquid metal and even radioactive medium.

1. Ball valve: the ball valve is developed from the coak valve. Normally the all valve is suitable for open-close function, but the modern ball valve is capable of throttling and fluid control. The ball itself controls the on and off status.

It features in:

• low fluid resistance, the resistance coefficiency is the same to the pipeline which has the same length.
• total sealing can be realized even at high pressure or high temperature.
• fast open and close feature.
• better corrosive resistance due to total separation between the ball and
  the sealing surface of the valve seat when the valve is totally opened
  or totally closed.
• simple structure, easy to maintain, replace and repair.

2. Butterfly valve: a butterfly valve opens and closes in a left-right way with a disc.

It features in:

• small fluid resistance, fast opening and closing.
• simple structure, small footprint and easy installation.
• can be used for large size valve.
• can be used to transport slurry.
• poor sealing performance.

3. Gate valve: this valve has a valve plate which moves vertically along with channel axis.

It features in:

• small fluid resistance, small flush and corrosion resistance from the medium to the sealing surface.
• labor-saving.
• flow direction of the medium is not restricted, pressure is not reduced.
• simple structure, short size, good technology and wide application.
• not wearing resistance.

4. Stop valve: its closing part moves along with the centre line of the valve seat. Once the stop valve is opened, the sealing surfaces of the valve seat and valve clack do not contact with each other. This characteristic makes stop valve an ideal device for cutting and regulating medium.

It features in:

• better wearing resistance.
• small footprint.
• usually has one sealing surface only, meaning that the maintenance is easy.
• large fluid resistance, easy pressure loss.

5. Membrane valve: there is a flexible membrane inside the valve body, the sealing is controlled by the upside and downside movement of the membrane.

It features in:

• easy dismantle and maintenance.
• the medium is clean because the mechanism is separated from the medium channel.
• the material inside can be various, widely applicable to the different medium.
• it can not be used in the high-temperature environment.